The Flawed Self: On Impossible Redemption in Atonement and The Memory Keeper's Daughter

When people are conscious of making mistakes and their subsequent disastrous consequences, they are led by their conscience to evade the guilt or make amends wholeheartedly in the self-struggling battle. However, if the wrongdoer refuses to apologize for the mistake and make realistic amends, his or her guilt cannot be eliminated, and his or her redemption cannot be attainable. By elaborating on Nietzsche's concepts of goodwill and redemption, this article aims to juxtapose two contemporary novels, exploring how the wrongdoer's flawed self prevents him or her from being redeemed. In Atonement, Briony blames herself in her long life for her false accusation against Robbie, the boyfriend of her sister Cecilia, and it brings a destructive result to them both. Although Briony invents a story for them with a happy ending to atone for her crime, she resists apologizing for her crime and making amends to her innocent victims in time. In The Memory Keeper's Daughter, Dr. David Henry tells a fatal lie to his family after giving his newborn baby girl with Down syndrome away. He feels regretful afterward and suffers for his mistake in his entire life, but he is unwilling to disclose the secret that harms his family. Briony and David commit a crime under the disguise of goodwill and undergo their testing in morality. While spending their lifetime to atone for their sins, they refuse to make an apology to their victims and admit their wrongdoing. Because of their flawed selves, for Briony and David, guilt is eventually irremovable and redemption is impossible.

關鍵字

goodwill ； guilt ； atonement ； redemption ； Nietzsche

並列摘要

當人們自覺犯了錯與隨後帶來的慘重後果，良知會引導他們在這場自我衝突的戰爭中，去逃避罪惡感或是盡全力去彌補。然而，要是犯錯者拒絕道歉並做出實際的彌補，其罪惡感無法消除，也不能得到救贖。此論文採用尼采對善意與救贖的概念，將兩部當代小說並置討論，以探究犯錯者缺陷的自我會阻擋其獲得救贖的可能。在《贖罪》中，布里奧妮一生責備自己對姊姊西西莉亞的男友羅比不實的控訴，以及對兩人造成的慘烈結局。儘管布里奧妮替他們杜撰了一個完美結局的故事，想藉此救贖她犯的罪，但她不願道歉，無法及時給予無辜的受害者實際的彌補。《不存在的女兒》中的大衛･亨利醫生在拋棄了剛出生患有唐氏症的女兒後，向家人扯了要命的大謊。儘管日後他對此感到哀傷，終其一生都因他犯下的錯受苦，也不願揭露傷害家人的這個秘密。布里奧妮與大衛在善意的假象下犯錯，並歷經道德上的試煉。雖然兩人一生都在為此贖罪，卻不願誠懇地向受害的一方道歉並坦承錯誤。對布里奧妮與大衛而言，由於缺陷的自我，罪惡感終究無法消除，救贖也是不可能的。

並列關鍵字

善意；罪惡感；贖罪；救贖；尼采

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